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Kearny man threatened 9 cops with screwdriver, police say

Paul McGinnis.JPG

Paul McGinnis, 44, of Kearny appeared in Central Judicial Processing in Jersey City via video link from the Hudson County jail in Kearny on the charges of aggravated assault, making terroristic threats and other offenses on May 16, 2014.
(Jonathan Lin/The Jersey Journal)

KEARNY -- A 44-year-old town man has been accused of trying to stab nine police officers with a screwdriver inside his Kearny Avenue apartment, according to a criminal complaint filed against him.

Paul McGinnis, who appeared in Central Judicial Processing in Jersey City today, has been charged with nine counts of aggravated assault, six counts of making a terroristic threat, weapons offenses involving a screwdriver and resisting arrest.

McGinnis' run-in with the police on April 23 began when he was arrested for violating a restraining order filed against him by calling his girlfriend's cellphone, Sgt. John View of the Kearny Police Department said.

Shortly after a family member posted McGinnis' bail and took him home, he "acted up again," View said. Police received calls that McGinnis was suicidal and running in front of traffic on Kearny Avenue in an attempt to get hit by a bus, he said.

The responding officers saw McGinnis walking into his apartment. When they went to check on his condition, he "came out and attacked" them with a screwdriver, View said.

The officers, with their guns drawn, ordered McGinnis to drop the screwdriver, which he refused to do, forcing them to call for backup, View said.

Seven more officers eventually showed up in what turned into a 30-minute stand-off, View said. Whenever officers attempted to talk to McGinnis or took steps closer to him, he would get agitated and aggressively wave the screwdriver at them, he said.

Finally, McGinnis accepted the offer of a cigarette from one of the officers, and accidentally dropped the screwdriver as he tried to pick up the cigarette that was tossed to him, View said. McGinnis was pushed down and handcuffed, he said.

No one was injured in the incident, and McGinnis was subsequently taken to the Jersey City Medical Center for psychological evaluation, View said.

At the time of his appearance in court today, McGinnis had already had his bail set by Superior Court Judge Mitzy Galis-Menendez at $120,000, cash or bond.